


What is a Human?

by orphan_account



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Body Dysphoria, Body Horror, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Abuse, Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Self-Harm, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-24
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-15 21:37:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5801158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That's the question Chara tackles in their life underground.  Above, they had always been called a monster.  Below, they are given the title of "human," the very same title assigned to their tormentors.  This is their story of self-discovery and denial.</p><p>After all, humanity is a trait that can be fixed, like a bad haircut or a dull knife.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Exposition Galore

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [On the Edge of a Knife](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4841879) by [Evaunit02mark1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evaunit02mark1/pseuds/Evaunit02mark1). 



> Chapter 1- In which Chara fails to understand that they are a human. Fun.

Chara had always been an angry child. They were a two-fisted person, with calloused hands and a strong grip around their “weapon” of choice. Sure, it was a simple branch, not as good as a sharp blade for slicing things apart, but it was something. The warm weight in their hand always filled them with determination.

Unfortunately, when their “determination” led them to create an insane suicide plot, their idiot brother refused to agree.

One year ago, Chara climbed the monolithic Mount Ebbot with the desire to vanish forever. Instead, they fell into the legendary kingdom of monsters, and were quickly taken in by the caprine royal family, the “Dreemurrs.”

First was Asgore, the king. His beard was as golden as the flowers from Chara’s village- and the monster himself filled them with a sense of peace. His ivory horns towered threateningly over his head, giving him the silhouette of a demon of human legend… But he was harmless and soft-hearted. It was fitting that the massive, white-furred king took up the peaceful hobby of gardening. 

Second was Toriel, the queen. Her ruby eyes contrasted nicely with her husband’s sapphire, and she always seemed to be a step ahead of everyone else, mentally speaking. She was the brightest of the household, and the most loving mother a child could ask for. Her horns were short and blunt, belying her fierce spirit. 

Third was Asriel, Chara’s adoptive brother. He was as gentle as Asgore and as kind-hearted as Toriel. He had a few inches on Chara and tiny horns that didn’t even break through his head’s fur. He wore green-striped shirts that matched his eye colour- Chara was not entirely sure if this was intentional. 

And fourth was Chara. Chara, the scrawny human with unnaturally-red eyes, a too-wide grin, and pasty skin that spoke to years of being locked indoors. Chara, the unlovable child who terrified the townspeople with their appearance alone. Chara, with their worn leather boots and thick, brown bobbed hair. 

 

Children are not hateful things, but they can become hateful like anyone else. And Chara had every reason to be resentful towards humanity. Beaten, bruised and abused, they sought death and instead had been granted life by creatures that resembled their village’s concept of “demons.” 

They were called “monsters,” to be precise. Chara had often been called a monster in the human village. Seeing so many wonderful people proudly wearing the term “monster” as an identity was as bemusing as it was liberating for the poor child. They had already set aside the term “human” to apply to their tormentors, the children who would pelt them with hard clods of dirt and the adults who would ignore their calls for help. They all called each other “human,” so Chara was relegated the title of “monster,” “demon,” or “thing.” 

And here was a whole society locked underground by the hateful “humans,” the ones who bullied the different and punished them for the crime of living. To Chara’s mind, they were about as “human” as their furred brother.  
This is their story.

 

\---  
One day after the fall:

Chara was wrenched from the comfortable oblivion of slumber by a soft, cheerful voice. “Chara, wake up!” it crowed, as if waking up was some great, wondrous thing. Chara waited for a bit before opening their eyes, mind running through their previous day. Unless yesterday had been some sort of demented dream, they were underground and in the custody of a family of goat monster… Things?

Chara wasn’t entirely sure of what to call their new captors, besides “suspiciously nice.” The day before, Chara had heard bits and pieces of a greater tapestry of history. They were in the kingdom of monsters, yes- no humans down here.  
This comforting thought filled them with determination. Despite being exhausted, they wrenched their eyes open.

 

They were face-to-face with Asriel, the youngest of their captors. The goat was inches away from their face, grinning widely (and unintentionally baring his fangs).

 

Instead of crying out, Chara struggled in their sheets ferociously, reaching blunt fingernails up to claw at Asriel’s face before they could be hurt. Why should they trust other monsters? As far as Chara was concerned, Asriel was just another deceptive enemy waiting to stab them in the back, either literally or figuratively. 

Asriel lurched back with a shout, tearing his muzzle away from the angry child’s grasp before he could be hurt any more. He shot to the other side of the bedroom, chest heaving in terror as the human twisted and convulsed in their sheets, giving off terrifying, animalistic shouts. Finally, they unwrapped themselves from the sheets and staggered to their feet, panting heavily. Their crimson eyes might have been the same colour as Toriel’s, but they shined with a cold hatred completely alien to her soft, motherly gaze. 

“Gonna… Kill…” they panted, eyes wide with terror as they clawed at open air before collapsing to their knees. Mere moments after waking and already exhausted. Asriel padded over to the fallen human, brows knit together with worry. It had been concerning enough when they attempted to hit Asgore after he called them a “human.” 

Regardless, Asriel felt a need to help the other. He knelt before the shivering human, placing a pawlike hand on their shoulder. His shoulders tensed along with Chara’s, but the human did not strike back. 

Chara’s chest heaved as they let loose a single, broken sob. No more, no less. They refused to show weakness in the face of their enemies, yet here was a fellow monster trying to help them. And to think that they had tried to hurt Asriel! The thought of injuring another monster, like- like a HUMAN, filled them with dread. They opened their crimson eyes wide and wrapped their arms around Asriel. “Sorry I was being an idiot.”

Asriel grinned widely. The human didn’t communicate a whole lot, and when they did it was usually in clipped sentences and rude noises. And it was good that the child was adjusting so well to his presence! From what Asriel had been told, he gathered that humans were just as incapable of leaving the underground as monsters. He hugged the human back and felt immense pride at being the first to get such affection from his new friend. 

Chara realised that they were showing weakness and withdrew from the hug with an irritated huff, letting their bangs fall to cover their eyes. Fellow monster or not, Asriel was still an unknown variable. The human children and adults were predictable. Throw things, jeer, kick, punch, et cetera. They were cruel, true, but Chara always remained one step ahead of them. 

Asriel sighed at the human’s reticence, but did not protest. Chara had been kind! That was progress, right? Mom and Dad would be so proud that he had broken through! He stood with a triumphant grin and offered Chara his hand. The child took it, and Asriel proceeded to drag them through the guest room door, towards the living room, towards Asgore.


	2. Only Human

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2- In which Chara learns a valuable lesson from Asgore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Howdy! Here's a second chapter. That's, uh, all I really have to say.

They froze with fear when their eyes met Asgore, the king of the monsters. Even sitting down on the couch, he towered over them, his massive, ivory horns shining bright in the candlelight. They quickly averted their gaze when he turned to greet them, muttering “your majesty” under their breath. His eyes widened at this.

“Human… Did you just call me ‘your majesty?’”

They pretended not to hear his “human” comment and instead gave him a simple, obvious answer. “Because you’re our king. I thought you were supposed to call the king ‘your majesty?’”

“’Our’ king?”

Well, duh OUR king. Maybe he was too dumb to catch the drift, but they were pretty sure that they were a monster too. Not that they’d ever tell him that he was dumb. He WAS royalty, after all.  
“Yeah! Asgore, king of the monsters! You’re our king!”   
They barely managed to suppress the urge to call him an idiot. He was the king. They had to call him “your majesty.” It wasn’t rocket science.

Asgore sighed, kneading his brow with one hand. “Chara, I appreciate your sentiment, but you’re not a monster. I’m not a ‘your majesty’ to humans any more than you are to me.”

With an inhuman growl they launched themselves at Asgore, fists balled and teeth clenched. Asriel shouted in the background, but it didn’t matter to Chara. King or not, Asgore’s cruel comments would not be tolerated. 

Asgore drew a quick breath before shoving the human back with a lone open palm. He looked more tired than angry. “Why?”

“Because you keep calling me a human.” Another punch thrown, only to be blocked again by Asgore’s hand. He was good at this.

“You ARE a human, Chara.”

They snarled in response and launched several more clumsy punches at Asgore. All blocked or absorbed with no apparent response from the powerful monster. “I am NOT a human. Humans are EVIL.” 

Asgore grabbed onto Chara’s left shoulder, looking deep into their eyes. Despite all of the hate and fear they regarded him with, he could see something else buried in there. Hope. His heart soared at the unfamiliar emotion. Few monsters knew hope in these dark times- and most had never seen the surface. Perhaps he could humour the little human. He allowed himself a small smile as he asked:

“What makes you think that you are not a human?”  
Oh, so Asgore was going to play THIS game with them. Well, two could play. Chara grinned winningly as they gave what they felt was, again, a self-evident response. “Look at my eyes, my skin, my smile. Do those things look like they belong on a human?” 

“Most monsters have fur or scales, not skin. Your skin looks pale, sure, but I cannot see how a few odd colours make you a monster.” 

This enraged Chara. How could Asgore say this to them? If they weren’t a monster, they were a human, and humans were evil, ugly things that hurt people. If they were a human, too, then they didn’t deserve the Dreemurrs’ hospitality.

“Child, it is okay to be a human in the kingdom of monsters! My wife and I will take care of you as best we can while you stay with us. And it looked like you had already become friends with my son.”

“If I’m a human, then how come all the humans up above called me a monster?”

“Perhaps they meant it as an insult.”  
Asgore grimaced as he said that, but he’d read enough human books to know what their cultures were like. “Monster” being a slur was not farfetched at all. 

Chara’s grin vanished and their expression became unsettlingly neutral.   
“Okay, then.” 

With those words, they made a heel-face turn and marched straight back into the guest bedroom, locking the door behind them.   
Asriel and Asgore sat in stunned silence for a moment before Asgore cleared his throat awkwardly. 

“Well. That could have gone better.” Asriel’s eyes watered for a moment before he jumped on his father’s lap and grasped the king tightly. “Are they gonna be okay, Dad?”   
Asgore considered the question briefly before remembering that there was only one answer he could give to his young, innocent son. “Of course, Asriel. They just need some time to adjust.” 

He didn’t believe a single word coming out of his mouth. The human had genuinely believed that they were a different species from their tormentors, and took solace in knowing that they belonged underground, in the kingdom of monsters. Asgore had stolen that from them in a few sentences, ensuring that they would grow to hate themselves for years to come. Or perhaps they would accept their identity- given their angry denial, this was unlikely.   
…

He did not know it at the time, but it would be a week before he saw the child again, sallow and despondent. 

Acid burned at the back of Asgore’s throat and the bitter taste of bile flooded his mouth, earning a subtle frown from the sovereign. He was not entirely fond of humans, but this did not excuse his ill-advised words to the poor child. Shoulders sagging, he took Asriel’s hand and walked towards the guest bedroom. Two raps on the door. No answer. Asgore sighed. “Child. I am sorry for what I have said. I just believed that the truth might be valuable to you.”

A scratchy, quiet voice came from the other side of the door, trembling with either sadness, fear, or anger. “I can fix this.”

Asgore cocked an eyebrow at that odd response.   
“Fix what, exactly?”

“My ‘humanity.’ I’ll find a way to get rid of it.”

“Chara, humanity is not… Erm…” Asgore did not know how to proceed. Fearful of provoking the human’s emotions any further, he let his comment slide into an inaudible murmur. 

“O-one day I’ll belong down here! You’ll see, your majesty! I’ll figure this out.”

“I’ll belong.”

 

And although Asgore knew Chara’s words to be the nonsensical ramblings of a child, a deep, primal part of him quivered like a windblown lake before the raw conviction of the human’s promises.  
As always, Chara was filled with DETERMINATION.


End file.
